Art Blakey

Impresario George Wein organized the Giants of Jazz as an all-star band consisting of Dizzy Gillespie, Kai Winding, Sonny Stitt (doubling on alto and tenor saxes), Thelonious Monk, Al McKibbon, and Art Blakey. The group ended up touring three continents between 1971 and 1972, playing 42 concerts before Gillespie left to honor earlier contractual commitments of his own. Monterey Jazz Festival impresario Jimmy Lyons decided to seek two trumpeters to replace Dizzy, and his selection of Clark Terry (who plays bother trumpet and flugelhorn) and elder statesmen Roy Eldridge added a new spark to the group. "'Round Midnight" puts the spotlight on its composer, while Stitt's extended tenor feature in "Perdido" starts out awkwardly with the hackneyed quote of "Stranger in Paradise" before turning into a solid affair, with Eldridge following him with a searing, occasionally raspy solo. The brief rendition of "Stardust" individually showcases Terry's conversational flugelhorn with thoughtful backing by Monk, while "Lover Man" puts the spotlight on Winding, "I Can't Get Started" features Stitt's rhapsodic alto sax, and "The Man I Love" Eldridge's still-exciting trumpet. The set wraps with a fun-filled group workout of "A Night in Tunisia," with Terry stealing the show with his bubbly flugelhorn. Since only a few of the earlier Giants of Jazz concerts have been released in any form, this Monterey set adds an important chapter to the band's all too brief documented existence. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide